1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing patterned thin-film layer on a substrate.
2. Description of related art
At present, methods for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layer on a substrate include photolithographic method and ink-jet method.
The photolithographic method is described as below: applying a photoresist layer on a substrate; exposing the photoresist layer using a photo mask with a predetermined pattern and developing the exposed photoresist layer using the conventional method to form a predetermined patterned thin-film layer. Disadvantage of the conventional photolithographic method is that a large part of the photoresist material is wasted thus, the efficiency is lowered.
Referring to FIG. 10, the ink-jet method includes following steps: Referring to FIG. 10(a), a substrate 42 with a plurality of banks 44 is provided, wherein the plurality of banks 44 defining a plurality of spaces 46 therebetween; the banks 44 is irradiated by ultraviolet (UV for short hereinafter) light beams 48 in a direction perpendicularly to the top surface of the banks 44. Referring to FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c), drops of ink 54 are dripped into the spaces 46 via a nozzle 52 in a manner such that the ink of a same material applied in the spaces 46 in a same row. A patterned thin-film layer (not shown) is formed after curing the ink 54.
In FIG. 10(a), the UV light beams 48 decomposes non-hydrophile substance, and thus increase the surface wettability of the top surface of the banks 44. When a material of the banks 44 is an organic material, the UV light beams 48 can break the unsaturated links of the organic material adjacent of the outer surface of the banks 44, which further increases the surface wettability of the top surface of the banks 44. In FIG. 10(c), because the UV light beams perpendicularly irradiate the top surface of banks 44, the top surface of which has better surface wettability than the side surface thereof. Therefore, when an ink 542 applied in a space 46 overflows to the top surface of the bank 44, the ink 542 is prone to flow along the top surface of the bank 44 and mixed with an ink 544 adjacent to the ink 542. This may reduce purity of the ink in the same space.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layers with high purity of the ink in the same space.